THE family of a 12-year-old Kingswinford boy who lost his battle against lymphoma have made a charity donation of more than £5,000 in his memory.

Friends and family of Daniel Banner, who died last April just weeks after being diagnosed with the deadly blood cancer, raised the money by taking part in a sponsored swim at The Wordsley School’s Learning4Life swimming pool where Daniel took lessons.

Daniel's mum and dad, Alison and Dave, brother Jake, aged 10, and sister Katie, aged seven, were among 18 adults and children who took part in the event, organised by swimming instructor Michael Harley from Learning4Life, to help raise money for the KIDS (Kids Intensive Care and Decision Support) service which coordinates the transport of very sick youngsters between intensive care units in children's hospitals all over the region.

Daniel's mum Alison said the family wanted to give something back to the service as they had to use the ambulance twice when computer-mad Kingswinford School pupil Daniel was sick - to transport him to different hospitals.

She said the sponsored swim raised a total of £5,065 which has now been handed over to Birmingham Women's and Children's Hospital for the KIDS service and she added: "We just wanted to say a massive thank you to all those who took part and donated.

"We almost doubled the original amount we hoped to make of £2,600, which was the cost of just one of Dan's journeys in the ambulance."